Compliance

Food Safety Certification Readiness — Globally Aligned, Locally Tailored

At Food Safety Systems, we support food businesses around the world in achieving certification readiness aligned with globally recognized food safety and quality standards.

Our consulting services are built on best practices found in schemes benchmarked by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), including the BRCGS Food Safety Standard (Issue 9) and the SQF Code. We help you interpret and apply the latest compliance requirements—such as food safety culture, root cause analysis, and supplier management—within your local context.

We are not a certification body—we equip you to succeed in your audit and sustain compliance with confidence.

Senior Management Commitment

  • Establishment and maintenance of a food safety culture

  • Food safety and quality objectives

  • Management review procedures

  • Organizational structure and responsibility

  • Communication processes

  • Provision of resources

  • Management of food safety incidents and product recalls

    • Food Safety Plan – HACCP

  • Assemble HACCP team with appropriate expertise

  • Describe the product and intended use

  • Construct flow diagrams

  • Conduct hazard analysis

  • Determine Critical Control Points (CCPs)

  • Establish critical limits for each CCP

  • Monitor procedures for CCPs

  • Corrective actions

  • Verification and validation of HACCP plan

  • Documentation and record-keeping

    • Food Safety and Quality Management System

  • Document control and record-keeping

  • Internal audits

  • Supplier and raw material approval and monitoring

  • Specifications (raw materials, packaging, finished product)

  • Corrective and preventive actions

  • Traceability systems

  • Incident management and product withdrawal/recall procedures

  • Management of non-conforming products

  • Complaint handling

  • Control of quantity (weight/volume)

    • Site Standards

  • External and internal site condition

  • Layout, product flow, and segregation

  • Maintenance and repair

  • Cleaning and sanitation

  • Pest control

  • Waste management

  • Utilities – water, air, energy

  • Equipment suitability, maintenance, and calibration

  • Staff facilities (e.g. changing rooms, toilets)

  • Chemical and physical product contamination controls

  • Environmental monitoring

    • Product Control

  • Product design and development

  • Allergen management

  • Product labeling

  • Product testing and inspection

  • Product release

  • Product claims and traceability

  • Product authenticity and integrity

    • Process Control

  • Documented processing procedures

  • Process monitoring and control

  • Calibration and verification of measuring equipment

  • Start-up and changeover procedures

  • Process validation

  • Product changeover controls

    • Personnel

  • Training and competence

  • Personal hygiene policies

  • Protective clothing and PPE

  • Medical screening and staff health

  • Hygiene training

  • Visitor and contractor controls

    • Production Risk Zones (High Care, High Risk, Ambient High Care)

  • Risk zone segregation

  • Hygiene controls for risk zones

  • Air handling and movement

  • Staff flow and movement procedures

  • Equipment and facility design for risk zones

    • Requirements for Traded Products

  • Approval and verification of traded products

  • Supplier approval and monitoring

  • Specifications for traded products

  • Traceability and recall readiness for traded products

    • Optional BRCGS Add-ons & Programs

      FSMA Preventive Controls Add-on – Aligns with U.S. FDA requirements under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) for preventive controls.

      Food Safety Culture Excellence Module – Evaluates and strengthens food safety culture across all levels of the organization.

      Environmental Monitoring Add-on – Provides guidance and verification on the effectiveness of cleaning and sanitation through microbial testing.

      BRCGS START! for SMEs – Entry-level program designed for small and medium enterprises to implement GFSI-recognized systems.

      BRCGS Global Markets Program – Step-by-step framework to help developing businesses achieve full certification.

    Note: These requirements apply to BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9. Additional or modified clauses may apply to other BRCGS standards such as:

      • BRCGS for Packaging Materials

        ○ Material hazard management

        ○ Packaging design control

        ○ Legal compliance for packaging materials

      • BRCGS for Storage & Distribution

        ○ Transport and delivery conditions

        ○ Temperature control measures

        ○ Warehousing hygiene and maintenance

        ○ Cross-docking traceability and control

      • BRCGS for Consumer Products

        ○ Product design safety evaluations

        ○ Manufacturing process controls

        ○ Post-market surveillance procedures

    Please consult the specific BRCGS standard applicable to your operation for the full list of requirements.